Thursday, 15 April 2010

a thoughtful moment

a correspondent has been following with some interest the besieging of Reading by government ministers, as have I. I was pleased to see that this time, unlike in 2005 when Martin Salter scuppered his visit, Jack Straw actually had some people listening to him in Reading East. Anyway, this is what the correspondent has to say, and I think they are right.

in one photo, JS was framed by both candidates.

In my view, as per bloody usual, the Party has listened to Salter and his ridiculous gobbing off about increasing the majority in R West and re-gaining R East.

They didn't listen to the truth about Reading and Peterborough in 2005 and previously and look where it got them?

Peterborough now reduced to 2 Labour councillors - one an ex Tory Muslim defector and on target to come third, and Reading East lost because of the selection and protection of a sex offender.

I suspect that Rob Wilson will increase his majority and Reading West is already a goner. But it was ever thus and that is why we are on course for Tory landslide.

Peterborough and Reading are bellwethers for what is wrong with the Labour Party nationally - unfortunately
I know, I know, I have always said it would be a hung parliament, and a lot will hang on tonight's debate, but still...

1 comment:

Tonight's debate has just produced the expected Clegg feste.More importantly, we had a feature in today's Times about all the high profile Labour politicians flooding into Reading.

We were 'told' that Reading East was a top Labour target as it 'had only been lost by 455 votes' and they hoped to reclaim it.

The article said nothing about the fact that, in 2001, the then Labour MP increased the majority to over 5,000 in this seat regarded as hopeless (and not on the key seat list) in 1997.

The article said nothing about WHY this seat, with its increased Labour majority - was lost in 2005.

ie - nothing about the ruthless de-selection of a very effective and popular with the voters - Labour MP in favour of a convicted sex offender. Or the bullying of the said Labour MP by her Labour neighbour and co MP, Martin Salter. All of which was in the national newspapers on many occasions, as well as top item in the lesser read local papers like The Reading Evening Post.

One cannot hope for journos, either local or national to get it right - they are usually without several hundred brain cells and only print what they are spoon fed.

But senior Labour personnel at Westminster knew all of this. They could have stopped it. Reading East could still have had a Labour MP, defending a majority. They just chose to turn a blind eye and support Salter. I hope they will feel suitably embarrassed when Rob Wilson increases his majority. But I doubt it.

If Labour loses the General Election, this is one of the reasons why. Don't forget.